Josh Newman

The election saw OC voters eliminating the Democrats’ supermajority in the state Senate; setting up competitive runoff elections for four Republican-held congressional districts and 4th District county supervisor; and delivering the first runoff elections for district attorney and sheriff in more than a quarter century.

State Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) faced a Republican-led recall effort focused on his vote last year to increase California’s gas tax and vehicle fees. The effort is part of a battle over whether Democrats will have a supermajority in the state Legislature.

Irvine resident Jodi Lieberman, a first-year college student at UCLA writes about the difficulties of trying to restore her right to drive and how reaching out to Senator Moorlach's office made the difference in her case.

After having his department largely defunded last year because of an active watchdog approach, it now seems that deceased Orange County Auditor Controller Eric Woolery was transitioning his life to Kansas. Orange County taxpayers had a right to know that Woolery was super-commuting to his local office from out of state and might be transitioning to a new life. Access to an official public calendar would have allowed for that kind of accountability, something that County of Orange officials keep fighting.